Neighborhood Watch: Pavilion Road, London

Alongside the Chelsea outposts of Chloe, Cartier, Kate Spade and J. Crew, a slew of old-school shops have moved in: a butcher, a baker and—in lieu of a candlestick maker—a cheesemonger and green grocer. These new neighbors, who revere culinary staples as highly as handbags, have already become institutions on Pavilion Road, an area that has been enhancing Chelsea’s immersive village feel.

It all started with a questionnaire. Two years ago, Pavilion Road’s landlord conducted an in-depth survey asking local residents what they wanted in the neighborhood. The answer was resounding: independently owned shops selling quality produce. And, with the arrival of numerous markets and eateries, foodies and organic enthusiasts are flocking to this popular London road.

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Everyone who works in these recently opened shops is young, food-obsessed, knows how to cook and is thrilled to be there. Stop by for a demonstration on top-to-tail butchery (not for the faint of heart) at Provenance Butcher, which gets its meat from just three farmers in Staffordshire and Yorkshire (247 Pavilion Rd.). “There is no middleman in what we do,” attests butcher George Jephson. “It’s direct from the farms to us.”

Borough Market’s renowned Bread Ahead has opened its third London outpost on Pavilion Road where customers can not only indulge in mouth-watering custard-filled donuts, sourdough, focaccia and all things bread-y, but learn how to make them in daily workshops (249 Pavilion Rd). All breads are baked on the premises, where the head baker reports in for work at 1:30 am. “It’s all about community,” says Bread Ahead owner Matt Jones. “We live in a world where everything is delivered by drones. This is really about bringing the people back, not just to shop, but to meet other people. The majority of our customers are regulars.” Alongside these artisan food shops is Pavilion Wine (255 Pavilion Rd.), London Cheesemongers (251 Pavilion Rd.) and fruit and vegetable specialist Natoora (245 Pavilion Rd.).

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For sit-down dining, the popular all-day eatery Granger’s will be opening its fourth London outpost on Pavilion Road next month. This will be followed by a vegan café this summer and a new restaurant next spring as part of the recently renovated boutique gem 11 Cadogan Gardens Hotel (11cadogangardens.com). The informal café, April’s sits in a lush courtyard off the cobblestoned Chelsea street (127 Sloane Street). 

For those looking to burn off all that gruyere, sourdough and Cabernet, Pavilion Road will be getting a swanky gym called KX Urban this fall (kxlife.co.uk). The sprawling, 7,655 sq.-ft. wellbeing and fitness hub will be open to non-members. Chelsea just gets better and better.

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